A DISSOLUTE ABB& 115

and went home again without in any way having fulfilled the
mission upon which he had been sent.

We had another distinguished foreigner arrive in France
about this time,—I mean, the Prince of Parma, respecting
whom I remember a pleafeant adventure. At Fontainebleau
more great dancing-parties are given than elsewhere, and
Cardinal d'EsbnJes wished to give one there in honour of this
Prince. I and many others were invited to the banquet; but
the Prince himself, for whom the invitation was specially pro-
vided, was forgotten. The Cardinal had given invitations
right and left, but by some omission the Prince had not had
one sent to him. On the morning of the dinner this discovery
was made. The Prince was at once sent to, but he was en-
gaged, and for several days. The dinner therefore took place
without him: the Cardinal was much laughed at for his absence
of mind. He was often similarly forgetful.

The Bishop of Poitiers died at the commencement of this
year, and his bishopric was given at Easter to the Abb<£
de Caudelet. The Abbe was a very good man, but made him-
self an enemy, who circulated the blackest calumnies against
him. Amongst other impostures it was said that the Abbe
had gambled all Good Friday; the truth being, that in the
evening, after all the services were over, he went to see the
Marechale de Cr^qui, who prevailed upon him to amuse her
for an hour by playing at piquet. But the calumny had such
effect, that the bishopric of Poitiers was taken from him, and
he retired into Brittany, where he passed the rest of his life in
solitude and piety. His brother in the mean time fully proved
to P£re de la Chaise the falsehood of this accusation; and he,
who was upright and good, did all he could to bestow some
other living upon the Abbd, in recompense for that he had been
stripped of. But the King would not consent, although often
importuned, and even reproached for his cruelty.

It was known, too, who was the author of the calumny. It
was the Abbe de la Ch&tre, who for a long time had been
chaplain to the King, and who was enraged against every one
who was made bishop before him. He was a man not wanting

8—2